Door-releasing mechanism.



PATENTBI)` MAY 14, 1907.

E. KANTZE.

DOGR RBLEASING MEGHANISM.

PPLIOAIIOI FILED JBLY 11. 1906.

WITNESSES:

IGDVA'RD KAUNTZE, OF

PATEN T OFF l GE.

HAN FR l), OALIFOR N l A.

DOOR-RELEASING NIECHANISM.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Petented May 14, 1907,

Application lila July 1i, Serial No. 325,652.

Be it known that l, EDWARD linos'rsm, e citizen of the United States. residing1 et lleniord, in the county of Kings sind Stute ol California., have invented new and useful ln'iproveinents in Door-Releasing Meehanisin of wl'iieh the following; :i spoci'liestion.

My invention relates to e device which is designed for the convenient and ins-tenta.- neons releasing' of doors.

It consists oi' o latchingr device, o. normally suspended weight with ineens for releasing it et will, seid weight acting to disengsge the latch and holding devices to free the door, end e destructible su )port for the weightA lt else comprises the combination of parts and d e teils of construction which Will be more lullv explained by reference to the aecompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows the device in the locked position. Fig. shows the released position. Fig. 3 is n. dets l ol the cord release. Fig. 4 .is si. perspective view ei' the bolt and keeper.

My invention provides the 'fastening and holding?r devices by which doors are normslljVT maintained in s. closed and locked position, and in emijunetion with these devices ineens by which the doors may be instantly unlocked and free to open; such devises being especially available for theeters end. other buildings where large public ratheri infrs occur, end in which b v reason of fire or other accident, it is necessariT to promptly open exits which are 'nornielljvY locked.

AsY shown in the accompanying drawings, A is the letching bolt of any suitable cow struction. Y This bolt is tnrnsfblc upon :i ful- Crum pin 2 so that turning `open this pin, it may be moved into a. transverse position in which the boltwill engage e keeper 3, or it may be tilted es hereinafter described to free it from the keeper and release the doors.

In the case of single doors, the locking holt may be preferably journeled in the door easing and the keeper carried by the door; but when applied to double doors it will be necessary to eerrlv one portion ot the device upon one leef of the door, ond the other portion upon the other leef.

As the door Will be subjected to heavy ressure in the cese of sudden rush, the eeper Inev have bell reces upon each side of the slot,l and the bolt ,mov be beveled or Wedgeshaped so that when turned into lockinl;r positiony it will pass bet-Ween the vertically disposed rows of balls "l, and by reason ol its wedge shape only the thicker portion will press upon the bells, thus rousingy it to move with greet freedom. "lhe bolt is here shown es having; on extension A et the inner or rearward end, this extension being bent upwardly et :in obtuse anglo with the insin port of the bolt. The inner end of this extension is pivoted to e link .5, and the end of the link connects with s rod il. 'lliis rod extends through s Weight T, and hns on enlargement upon the lower end.

The Weight is freely slidstblc upon the rod, and when it is released from its suspension and allowed to fell it strikes tho enlargement S thus pulling down upon the link 5 end the inner end of the arm A, and this inoveinent nets to tilt the portion A of the latch upwsrdlyY sind disengege it from the keeper.

This device is sufficient for ordinary single doors, but where double doors are employed, in addition to the hitch which engages the two leaves oi the double door, it neeesssr f or desirable to employ veitiesil;-y movable bolts es et 9 and 10; one of these bolts being moved upwardly to lock into the top of the door casing, and the other downwardly to engage with e socket in the threshold or lower portion. These bolts ere carried upon Vthe leef of the door to which the lock is lixed. In order to operate these bolts in unison with the movements of the latch, the upper end of the link Shss e Yflexible chain or connection 1l uniting itwitli the lower end of the bolt 9 so that when the weight drops and pulls the link downward the flexible connection or chain 11Will be extended and will pull the bolt 9 lroin its socket.

In order to simulteneously disengsgc the bolt 10 from its socket I have shown en erin 12 pvoted et 13 to s suitable fixed support.;Y so that one end projects along one side of the latch A-A, Y

14 is e earn rigid with the latch and turnablc uien the pivot pin 2 thereof and disposed inline with the outer end of the arm 12. This cern hss s hook-shaped point l5 which, when the ports ere in their norm el position, extends over the beveled outer end of the erin 1li, sind the tWo are thus normnllxT engaeed.

Then by reason of the dropping;y of the Weight 7y es previously described, the link 5 is pulled downward to tilt the latch AMA into s disengaged position, it will turn the cam 14 upon the pivot pin 2, and the rear end of the cam acting upon the outer end ofthe lever l2, and bevond its l'ulcrum point, this lever will also be tilted. The outer cnd of thc lever l2 has a notch or other suitable engagement l'or the lower locking bolt 10 and it will be seen that when this end is forcibly tln'own upward, it will withdraw the bolt IU at thc same time that the bolt t) is withdrawn. and the latch being also disengaged, the doors will be free to be opened.

[n order to hohl the weight out of action and to release it at any desired time, l have shown the weight provided with attachments as at lo through which a light but sulliciently strong cord 1T passes. The two ends of the cord extend upwardly; one end is here shown as attached toa pin la which may be moved to release the cord b v means of a press button lt), the button acting' to withdraw the pin and allow the loop of the cord to slip oil'. This will drop the weight at any time. The other end of the cord I7 may be attached as shown at 20, and between this fixed point 2() and the weight is located an electrically resistant substance 2l, over or in coiitact with which the cord passes so that when a current ol' electricityv is passed through this resistance, the current will render it imfamlesccnt, and will thus destroy the cord so as to allow the weight to be dropped.

Any suitable imnncctions may be made for energizing this device. l have here shown springs or plates 22 connecting with the resistalice 21 at one end and having the other ends connecti-id with biinling posts as at through which a current of electricity may pass from a source of supply. The current will pass from said source through one of the binding posts. thence through one of the spring plates 22, through the resistance 20, returning through the other spring 22 and the other binding post 23, and to a point which completes the circuit.

The closing of the circuit nlay be controlled from a distant point so that upon any alarin being given, the resistance coil may be energized by completing the circuit in any suital'lle or desired manner.

In order to allow the doors to be opened without interfering with the electrical and disengaging apparatus heretofore described, the bolt or pin 2 upon which the latch is turnable, may have its outer end made polygonal or otherwise constructed to receive a key by which it may be turned, and the latch disengaged, and a spring may be so disposed as to return the shaft after it is released.

l'iaving thus described my invention, what i claini and desire to secure by Letters Patent is-- 1 A door releasing device, said device consisting of a pivoted latch turnable upon one member of a door structure, a vertically slotted keeper upon the other member, bolts by which the door leaves are independently secured, and connections between the pivoted latch and said bolts whereby the latch and bolts are movable in unison, a destructible cord associated with said connections, and a means contiguous to said cord adapted to be heated sulliciently to destroy the cord and release said connections.

2. ln a door releasing device, a pivotcd vertically turnablc latch carried upon one leal' of the door, a keeper upon the other leaf in which the latch engages, bolts by which the leaves olI the door are independently locked when closed, connections between said bolts and the latch whereby the unlocking movement ol the latch is transmitted to silnultaneouslydisengage the bolts, a destructible cord assoiiated with said connections, and a heating medium contiguous to said cord adapted to destroy the same and release the connections.

3. In a door-releasing device, a pivoted latch carried upon one leaf of the door, and a vertically slotted keeper upon the other leaf, said latch having a rearward extension, a link pivoted to said extension having a rod with a stop upon the lower end, a weight slidable upon the rod acting when released to disengagc the latch, a vertically movable locking bolt carried upon the door and adapted to engage the door casing, a flexible connection by which the weight is normally suspended, and a heating medium proximate to said` iiexible connection adapted to destroy the latter and release the weight.

4. In a door locking and releasing device, a pivoted latch upon one leaf of the door and akeeper therefor upon the other leaf, a link with which the inner end` of the latch c011- nects, a rod connected with the link having a stop at its lower end, a normally suspended weight slidable u )on the rod and arrested bv the stop at the llower end whereby the link may be pulled down and the latch turned and disengaged, bolts extending upwardly and downward u )on the door leaf to engage with the top anfl bottom of the casing connections between the said bolts and the link and latch, whereby the bolts are disengaged in unison with the latch, a cord by which the weight is suspended, and a heating medium proximate to the cord ada )ted to destroy the saine and release the weig 1t.

5. ln a door releasing device, a pivoted latch and keeper located respectively upon the contiguous edges of the door leaves, a slidable weight-actuated link, an upwardly extending bolt connected therewith and normally locking one leaf of the door, an inwardly extending ivoted arm in engagement with the latch), a bolt connected with the inner end of said arm and normally engaging the bottom of the door casing, a cam connected with the latch and adapted to en- IOO IOS

IIO

lll

gage with the plvuenl arm when 1lhe latch is urneel lo lhsengnge ll, wl'xerehy the leekxxg holte are Wlllhrralwn, a. cord by Whel the elf-hl is normally suspeulml, and a heating medium proximate le lhe veel mul adapted te destmy lhe salue und release he weight.

G. A leer lurking mul releasing dev-lee including a lalh plvotei] tu une leaf, mul a keeper upon the mler lee-, belts slllahle up xvm'dly and duwnwarillj; upon the l'ust leaf m engage Willi the tup and hellem of the door easing respectively, emmeeluns by Whvh the lateh und belts are eimlilmneously (lisengngell. Said ennui-filone uelmling a slllehle link (funneeeil with hev rear of the latch, rml have@ e: step :1l lts lower end. a .vegh aliglelle Epen said rod mul aelng te move lhe roll and link (lnwmvzinl when it famlilzee lill lhe Simp, :l llexhle emmeeinn between ille luli and he upwardly extending bell, an arm pivtell contiguous te the latch hmfng ite inner enrl eenneetell w'lh the clownwrl exendng belt, e emu earred by the e meting: te tilt said arm and Witlldraw the heli! h1 nelson wih lhwdisengaglng of the lae and the upper heli, and a. heating medium proxix'z'xate le ille (wml nml adapted te flestruy the seme amel release the weight.

T. lu a dem releasing device, a pvulell latch eziefl upon one leal of the einer; and a. keeper @um tile Qlllel leaf, :i link will; which the inner end e? the latch is emmeeted, a red @annee-led with ille link having; step upon its lower end,` aV weight slldanle upon the rod, rexrelly mm'able hulls by which the [up and mtifom nl the door are lmfkeml, conneclons between Suhl hulls and the lntel wherehy hey are disengaged in unisnn herewith, ev ilesfueihle verd h v which the weight le wmmllxxf guepemlell an eleereally heme-ll peri with whieh the mrrl maiteinenl in Geniaal, and menus l'm' eomgllletng im elect'ie e'eul whereby the heating ef il parl (lemys the cord mul releases elle Xxveght.

ln fealmeny whereof have hei-euhm Set my hand in presence el 'two subeerbing wit- EDYVABB E N TEE. 

